The Morganville Institute

Chapter 6

Emmie sat waiting for me along with the others when I reached the table. I sat down, an awkward silence filled the air as all eyes were on me.

“So, who’s he?” She sat with a smirk on her face.

 “I could say the same to you,” I replied, glancing at the tiger-looking boy to her left. His power was obviously a physical one like Em’s but instead of being more human, the tiger-part of him seemed more dominant. Highlights of black and orange covered his short locks and the same pattern for his eyes. “This is Leon, he’s American and moved to the facility recently,” he nodded to her response. I then moved on to looking at the brunette, it was the same girl who had caused the fiasco yesterday. “Hey thanks for helping me the other day, I’m Kimmi by the way,” She smiled, her cheeks were a chubby but pale pink giving her lovely rosy cheeks to contrast with her hair. Before I could reply, she ran around the table and engrossed me in a hug. It took me by surprise. I could just about see Emmie laughing at me over Kimmi’s shoulder, so I poked my tongue out at her not that she could see me very well. Kimmi moved away leaving me gasping for breath.

“You still haven’t answered my question, ya know?” Emmie stated.

“Oh…….”

“So who is he?” Kat said.

“A friend…..called Alex…..”

“Alex, eh?” Kimmi joined in with Kat & Emmie, they all continued to interrogate me until they were satisfied enough to share what I had missed. In short, Kimmi had now become one of their “gang”, Emmie was infatuated with Leon and Kat was currently obsessed with her new bestie Missy. This continued until I & Kat gave up and went to get food from the counters ahead of us. “So is that really it?” She asked hesitantly. “What do you mean?”

“Well what you told them, about Alex. There is nothing more?” Reaching for a slice of pizza, I merely said, “That’s it, we’re just friends,”

“Hmm, what do you think about Leon?”

“I don’t really know him to be perfectly honest but it bugs me that he is American and in a London facility, I mean doesn’t America have its own plan for anti-humans or something?”

 “I have the same kind of feelings about the other wards, it’s as if people disappear off the face of the earth. Like have you ever seen anyone after they leave ward 3? Or where are the other patient’s rooms, I’ve been all over this place and I have never once seen a guard or a patient from another ward before?”I couldn’t help but explain what had happened earlier with the nurse, I told her everything.

 “Really? You need to take me to where that door was, we need to tell the others!” She went to run to the table but I caught her arm, “We can’t tell the others and we can’t investigate either, what if we get caught?!”

“Fine,” She ripped her arm from my grasp and stomped off, I knew this wouldn’t be the end of this conversation. I took my pizza slice and water back to the others- “OMG YOU FREAK!” A body collided with my own, nearly causing me to drop me food. I dumped it on to the table and looked at my attacker. Jessica was stood before me, a crazed look in her eyes. “YOU SPOKE TO HIM DIDN’T YOU?! ARE YOU TRYING TO RUIN MY LIFE!??” Her fist connected with my abdomen, the others rose from their chairs to help me but I waved them off.

“FIRST YOU EMBARASSE ME IN FRONT OF HIM THEN YOU TRY TO STEAL HIM FROM ME!!? I’LL KILL YOU!” She grabbed my hair, I couldn’t deflect her. “Too weak to fight me, huh?” She whispered in my ear, throwing me to the ground. My head was dizzy, my reactions were slower than I wanted them to be. She kicked me in the thigh, no-one helped. No guards came out to stop the fight. My group tried to help but I created a barrier of pure water current around me and Jessica. Not even Kimmi’s power could pierce it. It was the only thing I could do when Jessica’s assault became more violent. I can’t let you do this any longer Eli! I will take control, I know you hate me and what I am but I can’t let her do this to us!

No, I thought weakly. I could feel her power emanated from inside me as I was pushed to the back of my own mind, she took control of my body. The water barrier gently faded and was replaced by a fiery torrent that forced everyone back. Even Jessica stepped back out of fear.

“Your….your eyes…th-theyre red!” She screamed.

“My name is Ava, as you have probably guessed Eli has a split personality. She unlike myself dislikes hurting people, and despite her thoughts I feel you deserve this,”

 Ava’s POV

I blew softly onto my hand, creating a sort of fire ball in my palm. Please…don’t...do this, Eli cried. I couldn’t allow this evil sadistic girl to get away with hurting us without a cause. I let the fire ball grow to a decent size in my palm, and smiled at Jessica.

“No no no no, please don’t hurt me!” She squealed, hiding her face from me. The power I felt was amazing, I wanted nothing more than to watch her burn. “Not so powerful now, are we?”

“Just...please don’t hurt me…I didn’t mean it, honest”

I leant in close to her ear and whispered, “If you ever try to hurt me or Eli again, I will end you,” a small puff of smoke escaped my lips as I spoke. The fire wall dropped along with my fire ball, the flow had stopped.

 Thank you Ava